Former Iowa Congressman Leonard Boswell, a Democrat and Vietnam veteran, was the featured speaker today at the “Veterans Care Fair” Republican Congressman David Young and his staff organized in Des Moines.

“There’s two things in my public life I’ve never turned down and that is something I can do for children and education or for veterans,” Boswell told reporters. “So I asked David: ‘What kind of event are you having?’ He told me. And I said: ‘Have you done it before?’ And he said: ‘Well, yeah, I had it last year, about the same time.’ And I said: ‘If I can be of any help to the veterans, count me in.'”

Boswell, who will be 83 in January, participated in a midday ceremony to mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War.

“We went through a time historically. It was pretty sad, really, because of the attitude or the ‘non-welcome-home’ type thing and this attitude has changed,” Boswell said. “…It needed to change and so I’m very happy about that.”

Boswell was drafted into the U.S. Army in 1956 and he was an assault helicopter pilot in the Vietnam War. Boswell rarely tells the story of the mission he flew to rescue a pilot who had ejected from an airplane when it was shot down. Radio Iowa asked him about it today.

Congressman David Young (left) with former Congressman Leonard Boswell.

“I was executive assistant to the most decorated naval officer of WWII in NATO…We got to talking about some of the things he did and he said, ‘You know, there’s about that much difference between being a hero and a damn fool,'” Boswell said, holding his index finger within a quarter of an inch from his thumb to illustrate his point. “And you know, I came pretty close to being a damn fool because we didn’t have any survival gear on that helicopter or anything, but we got him. That was the main thing.”

Boswell told the story in detail about two decades ago at a Veterans Day event. Boswell described the waves that were washing through the helicopter’s open doors as his crew fished the pilot out of the ocean.

“He had his arm broken and he was going to drown,” Boswell explained today.

Boswell said he and his crew flew that rescue mission because the wounded pilot was at the end of his tour of duty in Vietnam — and scheduled to fly home the next day.

Boswell served 20 years in the military, retiring at the rank of lieutenant colonel. Among his many awards are two Bronze Stars and two Distinguished Flying Crosses. Boswell presided over the awarding of “Vietnam Veteran Lapel Pins” at today’s ceremony.

Earlier this morning, the Veterans Administration and nearly two dozen veterans service organizations held a workshop for central Iowa veterans, to review their benefits. The event was held in the gym on the now-closed AIB campus that was turned over to the University of Iowa.

Former Iowa Congressman and current Transportation Commission chairman Leonard Boswell told the commission today via telephone that he is in Arizona getting a tumor checked out.

Boswell, a Vietnam veteran, says the tumor could be linked to the chemical known as “Agent Orange” that was used in Vietnam. He says he is seeking a second opinion on the diagnosis, and says he will know the details of that second opinion in the next couple of days.

Boswell spoke to the commission this morning during their informal workshop prior to their regular meeting.

“”Don’t be worried about me, I am still on my feet. I am doing the same, I just know that something is happening,” Boswell said. Boswell told the commission he would join the regular meeting via telephone.

Boswell, a Democrat from Davis City, was appointed to the Transportation Commission by Governor Terry Branstad in January of 2014. Boswell served in Congress from 1997 to 2013 and prior to that was a state legislator. He was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses while flying helicopters in Vietnam.

Boswell, who is 81, had a non-cancerous tumor removed from his stomach in 2005.

The Governor has appointed former Congressman Leonard Boswell to the state transportation commission. The governor announced today he appointed Boswell to fill out the term of Tom Rielly, who resigned from the commission due to a business related conflict of interest.

Boswell served in Congress from 1997 to 2013 and prior to that was a state legislator and a decorated veteran of the Army who served in Vietnam. Boswell is a Democrat who has worked with the Republican governor recently on the initiative to recruit veterans to come and live in Iowa when they leave the military.

Boswell’s appointment must be confirmed by the Iowa Senate and the term runs through April of 2017.

“I’m pleased today to appoint Leonard to the Iowa Transportation Commission,” said Branstad. “As a veteran, former state legislator and United States Congressman, Leonard’s life has been one of service to our state and country. I’m confident he’ll be a tremendous asset to the commission.”

The seven-member commission set transportation policy and state law requires the commission be balanced by gender and party affiliation.

A Republican state senator from Urbandale is making another run for congress. Brad Zaun’s son Grayson introduced him today at a Clive manufacturing business that makes mufflers. “We may not agree on everything, but I know that if Brad is able to bring half the level-headedness and wisdom that he has brought into my life into congress, then we will be better off for it. So please give it up for my dad, Brad Zaun,” Grayson Zaun said.

Brad Zaun was joined on stage by his two other sons and his wife. Zaun talked about his decision to run for the Third District seat being left open by the retirement of Tom Latham. “When congressman Latham decided to retire, and I found that out as a shock probably like everybody in this room. And my wife said ‘you’re going to run aren’t you?’ I was really surprised by that considering the last go round we went through,” Zaun said to laugher. “But she said, ‘suck it up, it’s nine months, it’s the same I went through carrying our children.”

Zaun was making reference to the 2010 congressional race he lost to Leonard Boswell following a contentious campaign. He was asked after the announcement how he would approach this campaign differently. “One thing I would tell you, is I’m not going to let these dirty tactics and political attacks on me — I’m not going to let them be out there and not respond to ’em,” Zaun replied. “I’m smarter this time. I go in this with my eyes wide opened and I’ve learned a lot of lessons. I am going to be a lot more relaxed this time, I was certainly a lot more intimidated last time.”

Brad Zaun talks about running for congress as his wife looks on.

He said he was able to win a seven person primary the last time around and will use that same formula again. “One thing that’s gonna be different this time is I’m not running against an incumbent. So, I know that there’s going to be a lot of money spent in this race and I’ve been assured if I win the nomination I’m going to have Republicans and the…N-R-C behind me,” Zaun said.

Zaun ran a hardware store and was on the Urbandale city council and mayor before running for the Iowa Senate. Zaun said there are some good candidates in the race, but said his own background best prepares him for congress. “My message was experience running a business, many businesses, and my public service experience as well, I think is what separates me,” Zaun said. “I’ve taken votes, I’ve stood up, I don’t think you have to guess who I am and where I am going to be on the issues. I think I am gonna be someone who look everybody in the eye and tell them ‘this is the way it is and this is where I am going to be on the issue.'”

Other Republicans who are running for the open seat are: Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz; Iowa Renewable Fuels Association president, Monte Shaw; Family Leader president Robert Cramer, former congressional aide David Young and elementary school teacher Joe Grandanette.

There have been several political developments in Iowa in the past 24 hours.

Former Des Moines School Board member Jonathan Narcisse went to the African-American Museum in Cedar Rapids this morning to announce he’s running for governor. Narcisse says he’ll run as a Democrat. He ran for governor in 2010, but switched from being a Democrat to become the “Iowa Party” candidate.

Ed Fallon, a former state legislator who ran for governor as a Democrat in 2006 and challenged Congressman Leonard Boswell in a Democratic Party in 2008, has endorsed Democrat Jack Hatch’s bid for governor. Fallon registered as an independent voter in 2012.

Former Republican Congressman Jim Nussle has endorsed Walt Rogers’ bid for the GOP nomination in Iowa’s first congressional district. Nussle represented much of the district during his 16 years in congress in the 1990s and early 2000s. Tom Tauke — another former Republican congressman who represented northeast Iowa in the 1980s — endorsed Rogers this fall. Tauke left politics after losing his bid to unseat Democratic Senator Tom Harkin in 1990. Nussle ran unsuccessfully for governor of Iowa in 2006 and has not sought elected office since.

Former Congressman Leonard Boswell has dropped his lawsuit against the man who challenged him in a 2008 Democratic primary.

In late September Boswell filed a defamation lawsuit against former state Representative Ed Fallon of Des Moines. Boswell said Fallon “told an untruth” when alleging Boswell’s staff had offered him an $80,000 job if Fallon would not run against Boswell. Boswell has issued a written statement, saying “there is little point in continuing with the litigation and having a spectacle occur to clear (his) name as (Boswell) will not be seeking elected office in the future.” Boswell said he knows the truth “and that is good enough for me at this point.”

Fallon, who raised about $4000 in contributions to pay for his legal defense, sent an email to supporters saying: “it feels good to be able to put this behind (him).” Fallon countered that “Boswell’s decision to drop the case is affirmation that (Fallon) was telling the truth.” Fallon has said his ex-wife was present when the offer of a job in Boswell’s congressional office was discussed.

Fallon urged Democrats not to vote for Boswell this past November and, instead, to write-in the name of Des Moines Mayor Frank Cownie instead. Boswell lost his bid for reelection to Republican Congressman Tom Latham of Clive.

Members of Iowa’s congressional delegation split on party lines in last night’s vote to avoid the so-called fiscal cliff of tax hikes and budget cuts. All three Iowa House Democrats voted for the measure while both Republicans opposed it.

Earlier in the day, at about 2 o’clock in the morning, Iowa’s two U.S. senators voted against the legislation. Democrat Tom Harkin and Republican Chuck Grassley said “no” to the measure. Senator Grassley says President Obama has made his position obvious.

“Already in addition to what was passed yesterday, the president has made it clear he wants to raise taxes even more,” Grassley said this morning during a telephone conference call with Iowa reporters. “You can’t raise taxes high enough to satisfy the appetite of Washington to spend money.”

According to Grassley, strong presidential leadership is what the nation needs, to bring about what Grassley calls fiscal restraint.

“Everybody knows the problem is spending,” Grassley said. “Because, raise all the taxes the president wants and it only takes care of about 10% of our annual deficit of over a trillion dollars. We’ve got a spending problem, not a taxing problem.”

It’s a “fiscal farce,” according to Grassley, to raise taxes and hurt economic growth only to fuel more government spending with record deficits and debt. The New Hartford native said President Obama focused on raising taxes and failed to put Washington on a new path toward “fiscal discipline.”

“If he wants to make history and have a legacy, then it would be nice to have presidential leadership in helping us solve this spending problem, the deficit problem and in particular, with the 44% of the spending that is Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, bring that to the table,” Grassley said.

“It’s just absolutely the wrong direction for our country,” Harkin said during a speech on the Senate floor.”

Harkin particularly objects to another temporary extension of unemployment benefits, while making the tax rates permanent.

“We’re going to lock in forever the idea that $450,000 a year is middle class in America. What have we forgotten? Have we forgotten that average income earners in America are making $25,000, $30,000, $40,000, $50,000, $60,000 a year?” Harkin said. “That’s the real middle class in America and they’re the ones that are getting hammered right now.”

According to Harkin, the “real” middle class isn’t helped by this deal.

“Quite frankly, as I’ve said before, ‘No deal is better than a bad deal,'” Harkin said. “And this looks like a very bad deal.”

In the House, Democrats Bruce Braley, Dave Loebsack and Leonard Boswell all voted “yes” on the measure, while Republicans Tom Latham and Steve King voted “no.” Democrat Braley, in a written statement, said: “The legislation would cut taxes for over 99 percent of Iowans, help keep food and milk prices low by renewing the Farm Bill for nine months, encourage Iowa investment by extending the wind energy production tax credit, help more children find loving homes by permanently extending the adoption tax credit, keep doctors practicing in Iowa by preventing a cut in Medicare reimbursements, and reduce the cost of college tuition for Iowa families. For the first time in 20 years, Congress will have acted on a bipartisan basis for significant new revenue, resulting in the most progressive tax code in decades.”

Republican Latham said in a written statement: “The White House-Senate compromise contains some good provisions I agree with, such as preventing massive tax hikes on most families and finally making the cuts permanent, extending the farm bill, and maintaining the wind energy tax credit. However, it lacks a critical component: necessary spending cuts to address our exploding debt. Our $3.5 trillion budget is and will continue to be our primary fiscal obstacle.”

And Iowa F16 being flown by the Iowa National Guard during a mission in Afghanistan.

At least three Iowa congressman will vote against a bill that would close the F16 fighter jet unit in Des Moines.

The Pentagon estimates 32 people will lose their jobs at the Iowa Air Guard base in Des Moines. Congressman Tom Latham, a Republican from Clive, says the part-time guard unit’s more efficient than the full-time military.

“We’re going to need these planes. It’s just a matter if they’re in active duty or in guard facilities,” Latham says.

“The problem is this one unit, basically, for F16s is being singled out and theyvre got, you know, the highest record, the best record of any unit in the entire country.”

Iowa’s congressional delegation had worked together to insert language in previous bills that would have kept the unit operating. The closure is now included in a massive defense spending bill that is expected to pass the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday.

“It’s very, very frustrating,” Latham says. “This is not the decision, certainly, that we had worked for and hoped for, for so long.”

The 21 F16 jets based out of Des Moines were slated for retirement within eight years. The Pentagon plans to have the Des Moines unit control and fly unmanned drones overseas. Latham isn’t sure the current staff who’re there will retrain for drone duty, or be moved to other bases.

“It’s going to be an entirely different mission,” Latham says. “Whether those people, the same people will be able to transfer over to a new mission — it’s going to be very, very difficult and we want to make sure that if, in fact, that is the case there’s give adequate training and the ability for those folks to continue to serve.”

Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, says the Pentagon has not justified the closure and he will vote against the entire defense spending bill in protest. Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, says he is “likely” to vote no.

“Not only because of the very disturbing decision about eliminating those 21 Iowa National Guard fighter jets at the 132nd fighter wing in Des Moines, but also because of a number of other very important provisions,” Braley says, “including an additional $90 billion for funding of the war in Afghanistan.”

Braley says the bill should have spelled out in more detail the “true cost” of the war in Afghanistan. Braley, though, says the bill does include some important moves, like boosting the base pay for rank-and-file soldiers.

“But this decision that was made about the 132nd Fighter Wing is something every member of the Iowa delegation fought strongly against,” Braley says. “It does not make sense and yet it is a part of the defense authorization bill and one of the reasons I will probably vote against it.”

Congressmen Leonard Boswell of Des Moines and Steve King of Kiron have not publicly indicated how they intend to vote.

Colleagues of Congressman Leonard Boswell held a tribute to him today on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

“Hadn’t planned on this all coming to this kind of a closure, but it’s caused me to reflect back over life and I feel very blessed,” Boswell said.

Boswell’s 16-year tenure in the U.S. House is coming to an end, as he lost his bid for reelection.

“I have a regret: I’m sorry my mother couldn’t have heard this discussion today,” Boswell said, drawing laughter from the other members of congress who were on the House floor.

Boswell, a Democrat, will celebrate his 79th birthday on January 10th.

“I started out in a tenant farmhouse,” Boswell said. “…But look what I’ve gotten to do…when we talk about the American dream and the opportunities that exist in America.”

Boswell was drafted at the age of 22 and served in the Army for 20 years. Congressman Bruce Braley of Waterloo said Boswell is “too modest” to talk about the two Distinguished Flying Crosses he was awarded for flying helicopter rescue missions in Vietnam.

“Leonard has always been a strong advocate for military families,” Braley said. “He has a lot of proud achievements in this body, but Leonard to me your proudest moment was when the Joshua Omvig Suicide Prevention Act was passed in the House, passed in the Senate and signed into law by the president.”

Congressman Steve King of Kiron said Boswell had a “noble and brave” career in the military.

“Everybody that he served with didn’t come back, but more people came back because of Leonard Boswell and I know that,” King said. “I heard some of those stories because I pulled a few of them out, but it’s not something that’s he’s brought out front. It’s not something that he’s worn on his sleeve. It’s something within the character of the man that sits here with us today.”

Each member of Iowa’s delegation in the House paid tribute to Boswell. Congressman Dave Loebsack of Iowa City praised Boswell’s “distinguished” record of public service.

“We talk about a lot of us being from Iowa, but I often refer to Leonard Boswell as being ‘of Iowa,'” Loebsack said. “He’s an Iowan through and through in every possible way.”

Congressman Braley mentioned the scuffle Boswell had in the summer of 2011 with an armed intruder in his Davis City farmhouse.

“You shrug it off Leonard, but everyone who knows you knows that that outcome of that horrible moment was inevitable,” Braley said, “that truth and justice were going to triumph because you were the one who was there at the right time and the right place.”

Other congressmen from other states offered praise to Boswell during the 40-minute tribute. Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer credited Boswell for bringing a “greater degree of civility” to the House.

“He is a ‘salt of the Earth’ human being,” Hoyer said. “He is someone that the American people, if they knew personally, would say is the kind of person they would want representing them in the congress of the United States.”

“His work on behalf of his constituents has exemplified what Iowans expect of their representatives in congress — someone who is approachable, thoughtful and hard-working,” Latham said.

Former Iowa Congressman Jim Nussle was on hand for the tribute as well. Latham read aloud a few letters from Iowans on the House floor today. Messages that are emailed today to Boswell.Tribute@mail.house.gov will be made part of the official congressional record of the event.

Iowa voters sent Congressman Leonard Boswell into retirement Tuesday and reelected Iowa’s other four congressmen.

Republican Congressman Tom Latham faced incumbent Democrat Leonard Boswell after Iowa lost one of its five seat in redistricting. Latham told Radio Iowa he won by campaigning on his experience.

“Because we focused I think on the issues …you know you’ve got two incumbents that have voting records for people to compare. We didn’t do personal attacks, but we talked about the issues, the differences that we have,” Latham said. “And I think people will overwhelmingly — when the final numbers are in — show that they sided with us as far as the issues.”

Latham said he hopes President Obama is serious about working with congress. “I hope that he is serious about sitting down in a constructive way with congress to actually solve the problems, because they are enormous with our debt, with the annual deficits, with the fiscal cliff that we are looking at at the end of the year, the uncertainty that’s in the economy today which is stopping job growth,” Latham said.

“We are going to have to pull together. We’re going to have to, like I said, put people before politics and progress before partisanship.”

Congressman Leonard Boswell

Boswell’s long career in politics came to an end with his loss to Latham. The 78-year-old Boswell won his seat in congress in 1996 after previously serving three terms in the Iowa Senate.

“It’s been my honor, my privilege and my thanksgiving to get to live amongst you and serve you for these many, many years,” Boswell told Iowa Democrats gathered in Des Moines.

Boswell operates a farm in Davis City that has been in his family for several generations. He and his wife Dody were married in 1956 and have three children.

“I can’t thank you enough and I can’t thank my wife enough for being right there beside me,” Boswell said to cheers from the crowd.

Congressman Steve King, a Republican from Kiron, won a sixth term last night.

“We put together a campaign that reflected Iowa values and the record I have in congress is clear,” King told Radio Iowa, “and I made that clear.”

For the first time since his first congressional campaign in 2002, King debates his Democratic opponent, Christie Vilsack.

“Even though the press didn’t report who was winning those debates, the people that went to them were out talking with each other and it went through the grapevine and I think that all added up, that and a really wonderful volunteer effort,” King said. “And the fundraising that we had came from Iowa and hers came from outside Iowa and all of that makes a difference.”

Vilsack, who was Iowa’s first lady for eight years, declined to do media interviews after the results of the race were known. Sam Roecker, a spokesman for the Vilsack campaign, spoke with Radio Iowa at about midnight.

“Christie is really proud of the race that she ran, as am I,” Roecker said.

Getting King to debate was a victory for democracy, according to Roecker.

“We were running in a district with a Republican advantage, but we kept things close,” Roecker said. “We kept it competitive and I don’t think there is anything that we would change about how we ran this race.”

Iowa’s other two congressmen, both Democrats from eastern Iowa, won reelection. Congressman Bruce Braley, a Democrat from Waterloo, was reelected to a fourth term.

“I think that this result was due to an incredible amount of hard work by people who were very dedicated to electing someone who has a proven ability to work across party lines,” Braley told Radio Iowa, “and is going to bring mature leadership to his job in congress.”

Braley said every race is tough, but this year’s victory is “very rewarding.”

“We took this race very seriously from the beginning,” Braley said. “We knew there were going to be a lot of dynamics with 20 counties, 11,000 square miles and 400,000 new constituents.”

Republican challenger Ben Lange of Independence was making a second attempt to unseat Braley.

“I called Congressman Braley and congratulated him on a hard-fought campaign,” Lange told Radio Iowa. “Obviously he is again elected to the United States Congress and I wished him well and wanted him to know that I meant it.”

Lange credited what he calls “The Obama Machine” for racking up a huge early vote tally for Democrats up and down the ticket, including Braley.

“They did one heck of a job on early voting, getting their supporters out to the polls,” Lange told Radio Iowa. “I think it’s going to be call to action to the Republican Party out there, that if we’re going to compete in eastern Iowa, we have to realize that early voting starts in September and we have to make sure that we ‘ve got to make sure we get our supporters out there and play on a level playing field.”

Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, was reelected to a fourth term as well.

“I’m certainly happy with this win, but it’s really a question of now of getting back to work and going back to Washington, D.C and doing what I’ve been doing the last six years and trying to reach across the aisle as best as I can to make sure that we solve the issues of the day, the problems that are facing this country and getting people back to work,” Loebsack told Radio Iowa.

Loebsack moved to Iowa City to run in the new second district.

“This was probably the most challenging since my first election, since 46 percent of the district is new, but I’m very happy that I won Scott County by over nine percent, so I feel very good about that,” Loebsack said.

Loebsack’s Republican opponent, John Archer, is from Bettendorf, which is in Scott County. Archer spoke at an Election Night party in the Quad Cities, but he did not do other media interviews. In a written statement, Archer said he was proud of the campaign his team ran, and hopes Loebsack keeps the promises he made during the campaign to work to end the gridlock in Washington.